The April 8 meeting of the Wright County Board of Supervisors mainly dealt with financial issues.
The county will hold a public hearing later this month on amending the current budget due to an increase in both revenues and expenses. Revenues increased by more than $503,000, while expenses are up over $146,000.
A hearing to amend the budget will be held Monday, April 19 at 9:15 a.m. A notice with more details about the increases will be published in next week’s newspaper.
Engineer Adam Clemons presented his secondary roads budget for the coming year, along with the five-year program for road and bridge projects.
Clemons said he expects to have $852,000 in carryover funds for the next fiscal year. The revenues in 2025 will total $8.2 million, including $2.5 million in county property taxes, $3.9 million in road use taxes, $850,000 in bridge replacement funds, and $37,000 in miscellaneous receipts and permits.
Clemons anticipates expenses totalling $7.9 million, which includes $829,000 in equipment purchases. At the end of the next fiscal year, he said there will be about $261,000 of unspent money. “That is a little lower than I like to see it,” Clemons said, but added that he hopes expenses are lower than projected.
Clemons went over the projects planned for fiscal year 2025. The work and costs include:
• replacing Bridge 157 south of Belmond on Taylor Avenue, $850,000;
• 15 miles of paving on C-54 west from Highway 69 to R-33, then north on R-33 to Highway 3, $2.6 million;
• replacing Bridge 210 (Voss Pit bridge that was approved last week);
• and replacing Bridge 116 north of Rowan on Victor Avenue, $500,000.
Clemons said no local money will be used for any of the 2025 projects; all projects will be financed with federal or farm-to-market funds. In the future, Clemons said only $750,000 in local money will be spent in the five-year plan.
In an unusual move, the supervisors agreed to deem taxes on a Clarion property to be uncollectible. No taxes have been paid on the empty lot at 615 Central Avenue East since 2008. The property went to tax sale in 2009 and 2010, and no one bid on the property. A property can only be offered twice on a tax sale. There is about $10,000 of property taxes unpaid, most of it owed to the City of Clarion. The county will turn the tax sale certificate over to the city.
The supervisors also met with Elizabeth Thyer of Gardiner+ Company to review last year’s audit. She said the county is “doing well” and added, “You’ve got good people here.” A copy of the report can be found on the state auditor’s website when it is posted.
In other business, the supervisors:
—heard that Iowa Specialty Hospital in Belmond is waiting for federal approval to contract with a company that will offer personal home care throughout the county;
— approved the third reading of a resolution to change the rural zoning on a piece of land near Eagle Grove for Talus Renewables. Once the resolution is published, the zoning change will take effect;
—accepted the quarterly reports from the auditor’s and recorder’s offices. The recorder noted that revenues from real estate transactions were “way down” but could bounce back now that spring has arrived;
—and heard that the sheriff’s department had more than $2,500 in revenues from mileage charges, weapons permits and copies during March.
